TAKE ALONG EXTRA OIL

MATTHEW 25: 1-13

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.  When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.  Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

Believers worldwide are waiting in anticipation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; the scripture says he will come like a thief in the night. This is why we have to spend every day as if it is going to be our last day on earth, and who knows if it’s going to be, because nobody knows the exact time and hour that Jesus will come. As long as we are preparing for the coming of Jesus, it is unfortunate that not everybody will qualify to reign with him.

Like the ten virgins in the text, they all prepared to meet the bridegroom; five took extra oil with their lamp and the rest of them did not take extra oil with them. All of them left their various abodes in expectation to meet the bridegroom, leaving their homes with their lamps shows that they took serious steps in meeting the bridegroom. Five of these virgins were wise while the rest five were foolish; the wise ones were the ones with extra oil while the foolish ones were those without extra oil. For you to meet the bridegroom (Jesus) you need to have extra oil for your spiritual lamp, having a lamp is not enough. Having outward association with the church is not what will make you to reign with Christ; ‘playing church’ won’t get you anywhere. Your right relationship is what guarantees your eternity. The wise virgins represent the righteous and sincere Christians that are on their guard to take extra care in running their Christian race, taking into consideration anything that can be a hindrance to their smooth heavenly race. The five foolish virgins symbolise those Christians that are carefree of their Christian life, these are the hypocrites in the church that their inner being is nothing to write home about, yet they present themselves to the world as Christians. For any believer to meet the bridegroom you need to evaluate your Christian life, identify and fix anything that can be a distraction or hindrance to your heavenly race before the bridegroom comes. Take an extra oil (extra care and caution) with your lamp (Salvation) to be able to stand the test and trials of this world.

The text says “when the bridegroom delayed in coming…” they slumbered and slept. We don’t know when the lord Jesus will come, but we need to be spiritually awake till he comes, any mistake to slumber could be disastrous because the devil is very much ready to attack any sleeping believer. The virgins prepared enough for the coming of the bridegroom, but at a point they dose off, if they had not slept they would have known when the oil was about to finish in their lamps. Maybe they would have been able to get oil and still meet the coming of the bridegroom. The devil has many tricks that he is using to get serious believers to be distracted and derailed at the last minute, be vigilant!

Many serious minded believers who have been working their salvation with fear and trembling, they are steadfast in faith, but unnoticed and carelessly; they allowed the devil to attract their spiritual life by becoming lukewarm. If you want to see the bridegroom; you have to be self-controlled and alert to be able to perceive it when the devil is trying to make you lose focus. You need tolerance, perseverance, long suffering, patience, meekness, holiness and you need to be very vigilant and be extra courteous to position yourself where you will be able to go in with the bridegroom.

I pray that our preparation and waiting will not be in vain in Jesus name.

WHAT WILL WE GET? (11)

TEXT:  MATTHEW: 19:27-29

“Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”  Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit

eternal life.

The high cost of following Jesus have made many people in the world to remain in sin because they lack the understanding of knowing why they must do all these “just” to follow Jesus. The fear of letting go of all they have to follow Jesus seem too much to bear to them. This is so because they are ignorant of what their reward would be if they leave all to follow Jesus. In ignorance Peter asked Jesus ““We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” Peter asked this question because he knew who he was before he became one of the disciples. He was an active fisherman; he left his job and family to follow Jesus. Maybe on the day he asked that question, he might have thought of how he used to go fishing and selling them to make money, and looking at himself following Jesus without being paid. “Many yet to be saved” are like Peter, thinking “what will I gain from following Jesus?” some refused to follow Jesus while some gave up following him because they find the price too difficult to pay.

They believe that it does not worth it to leave their wealth, material things of convenience, friends and families to follow Christ, when they are not sure of what will be their gain. When Peter asked that question he wanted to be sure that he was not doing all in vain, like Peter; we all love rewards. Jesus replied Peter in verses 28 and 29 “And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.…

The lesson in this message is that when you leave everything to follow Jesus, you will not regret it, he will not forsake you, your rewards for leaving everything to follow him exceeds what you are leaving to follow him. Whatever you leave to follow Christ will be given back to you in hundred folds. And above all you will have eternal life. Remember that the Lord did not call you to serve Him in vain (Isaiah 45:19). Count the cost today, look at the rewards in following him, take up your cross and follow him.

WHAT WILL WE GET? (1)

TEXT:  MATTHEW: 19:27-29

 “Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”  Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.

In the course of following Christ, we have left everything that we used to attach importance to, all the things that used to be our joy and gain, we have counted them as rubbish like apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ…  Jesus said in his word in Luke 14:33 that “in the same way any of you who do not give up everything he has CANNOT be my disciple.” This means that if you really want to follow Jesus genuinely, you have to let go of everything that are of great value and importance to you, so that these things will not distract or hinder you from following Jesus with all your heart. Jesus did not hide the cost of being his disciple from people; he made it clear that to be his disciple is not going to be easy. It is very costly that it takes the grace of God and determination to be able to follow Christ.

You cannot follow Jesus and at the same time be attached to other things that can make you to turn your back against him. That is why Jesus is telling you to deny yourself of all things (human and material) before you will be able to follow him. “If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters. Yes and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26). This is how “expensive” the cost of following Jesus is! To forsake all important relationships and even hating your own life, what Jesus is teaching us here is that we should live by the greatest command, to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and spirit. He does not want anything to take his place in our lives, hating your own life means you would not mind being rejected and ridiculed for Christ sake. Forsaking your parents and other friends and family members means that you will not allow them to be a hindrance to serving God. God is not a man that He should lie. He will reward you in due season. 

BEWARE OF THE YEAST OF PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES (11) (Wrong teaching)

TEXT: MATTHEW 16:5-7, 11-12

 5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

The Sadducees were the ruling influential ones; they were kept them in power by Romans. They are interested in maintaining their status in the government. In order to do this they were prepared to water down their Jewish faith. They allowed the pagan Romans to appoint the High Priest.

The Sadducees obey the decisions of Rome, they believe in politics more than religion. They were self-sufficient that they deny the involvement of God in daily provision. They did not believe in life after death and resurrection, neither did they believed in angels or the Holy Spirit.

Like the biblical Sadducees, the Sadducee preachers of this age are connected to the important people in the county, they are very close to the seat of power that telling the truth has become a problem for them. They have been bought by the “big guns” in the government and other places of power, therefore they dare not preach against what the “big guns” are doing wrong, so that they will not lose the “fringe benefits” they are enjoying from the seat of power. Many sinful and ungodly policies and laws are in operation in different countries of the world, all in the name of civilization and fundamental human rights.

Believers are in this world to shine their lights to change the dying world, yet only few preachers of the word are desperate and passionate to effect the change needed. The rest are busy preaching religion and other things that are “acceptable under the law”. While the Sadducee preachers are trying to water down their preaching to favour their congregation and the people in the seat of power that are making ungodly policies.

In conclusion, we should not be like the Sadducees we should believe everything written in the bible, and unlike the Pharisees, we should not treat traditional norms higher that the scripture. We should not reduce our relationship with God to be replaced with legalistic rules, doctrines, laws and tradition.

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BEWARE OF THE YEAST OF PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES (Wrong teaching) 1

TEXT: MATTHEW 16:5-7, 11-12

5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Who are the Pharisees and the Sadducees? The Pharisees are the members of an ancient Jewish sect distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law and commonly held to have pretension to have superior sanctity. They are self-righteous and hypocritical people, they were bitter about Jesus; they became his opponent and hated his messages. They preached but they don’t do what they preach. They were operating from the Law of Moses, they believed strongly in the Law of Moses, and they were not ready to accept the teaching of our lord Jesus. The Pharisees were traditionalist. They attach more importance to tradition of men than the inspired writings of the Old Testament. They attached much value to washings and ceremonial purifying of the body. They made an extreme deal about the external parts of the religion; they put away scripture and subjected it under their own teaching of tradition and religion. “Yeast” in this context can be referred to as wrong teaching or belief.

A little of the teaching of the Pharisees will affect everything about you. In this present age the Pharisees are no more in existence, but traces of their doctrine still exist. Many preachers are like the Pharisees, they teach what they believe is right in their own eyes. They live under the law, they preach their own believe; and once you don’t live like them and follow their teaching, to them you are not born again. The Pharisee preachers are narrow minded religious extremist. They believe they are better and more righteous than any other person that is not behaving like them.  They are of the belief that if you believe and behave like them, you are saved but if your belief and behaviour is different from theirs, you are condemned. The Pharisee preachers believe that there is a particular way you need to look for you to be accepted into the Christian fold. They believe in outward transformation (appearance) with less concern about the inward being.

As long as your outward appearance is in line with their doctrine, all is well with them.  Even though your inward being is as dangerous as the serpent, so far you are in line with their “accepted norm” outwardly; to them you are a genuine child of God. These religion conscious preachers are so concerned about outward appearance that they have forgotten about the main commission (to preach the gospel of our lord Jesus). They only preach “Do not wear trouser, thou shall not put on earrings, thou shall not leave your hair open, thou shall not make up, thou and thou and thou… These things mentioned above are not what will cause you to go to hell; neither will you make heaven by abstaining from them. If you dress like a Nun and your inward being is not renewed in tune with God, hell is sure! The scripture says we should do everything decently and in order, therefore let your dressing and appearance glorify God. The mistake these Pharisee preachers are making is that outward appearance is not an assurance of one’s salvation. Some people can dress to deceive; they use their outward appearance as camouflage to deceive people to see them as “born again”, and once the pastors sees them in their “dress up” they won’t bother to preach the gospel to them anymore because they believe that they are on their way to heaven. Playing religion cannot take you to heaven, Jesus said “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). The teaching or the doctrine of the Pharisee and Sadducee you listen to would have negative change in your life. That is why you need to be very careful of the message you listen to.

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YOU NEED TO START A JOURNEY (11)

TEXT: GENESIS 12: 1-2, 4^a

Many people have embarked on wrong journey of purpose, that has left them unfulfilled and frustrated, because they did not seek the face of God before starting the journey. It is not enough to seek the face of God, it is important to invite God to go through the journey with you, so that He can guide you through the journey. When the lord sent Moses to Egypt to go and deliver the children of Israel, God had empowered him with all he would need in the course of his journey, yet he said if the presence of God will not go with him, he would not go through the journey (Exodus 33:15). The lesson here is that even though we have all it takes to make it in life, we still need the presence of God for us to make it. If you want to enjoy supernatural change, if you want increase and divine transformation, you need to do something about it. The scripture says faith without work is dead. If you stand faithfully on the word of God without putting effort to achieve it, you may not be able to partake of the blessing. When God told Abram to leave his country and his father’s household to an unknown place where He(God) would bless him, Abram did not receive the promise without doing anything about it, verse four of the text says “ And Abram left as the lord had told him.” He took action by making the journey to his destiny.

This means action must precede promise. However, to experience supernatural change, you need to take action, if you are in need of job, you need to write an application and prepare your CV and send them to various organisations, then you keep praying to God for favour. God will never write your application for you, therefore play your part and wait for God to play His own part. The lord says in Deuteronomy 28:12 “I will bless the work of your hands and you will lend to nations.” If you are doing nothing, what will God bless? If you have no purpose in life, where will the change come from? You need to engage your hands in something that God can bless and use to take you to supernatural realm of increase. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a step, start with the little you have now, that will earn you the “NATURAL BLESSING,” when the blessing of the lord comes on the works of your hands, it will turn it to “SUPERNATURAL BLESSING.” I pray that as many that are still struggling to know their purpose in life, the Almighty God will open your Spiritual eyes to see the purpose of your existence in Jesus name.